ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 4/23/2018 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 4)

Please stop making excuses for CP3. He had a good enough team in LA to do something. They were up 20 on the rockets. He just didn't. He has a good team against him this year. Its up to him to make up for it.

 

We needed this game man. Not this win, but the way we won. Finally the Thunder and Jazz fans have some apprehension about facing Us in the next round.

 

We had 92 pts with 46 seconds to go in the 3rd.

And finished the third with 1 0 0.

Dope.

 

It's no coincidence that the Rockets had an explosive 3rd quarter when their best scorer, their 2nd best and their 3rd best guy to put up points -- Harden, CP3, and EGawd -- find their stroke.

Result, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

Just too much firepower for any team to overcome.

 

I feel like Ryno would be a good candidate for next Clutch the bear

 

So are we just going to ignore the fact that no one has mentioned James Harden's "heart" that game?

Goes ice cold for the first half and still has the "heart" to orchestrate an onslaught in the 3rd.

 

Rocket River

 

^^^Crazy part is that James sat down for 2:38 for the 3Q.(score was 86-62).

 

While not quite the same situation as 94, the way the team looked flat in the first half, then came out and imposed their will reminds me of Clutch City.

Believe.

 

I know Pringles never likes to take credit for adjustments, but I like the plays they ran at the opening of the 3rd. Get some dribble hand-offs to Harden to get him some shots and find his rhythm.

 

Harden completely changed at halftime for the better. I dont mean that he hit shots, but the quality of the shots he was taking and how he got them within the offense was vastly different from early on. He was forcing a ton of really bad shots after dribbling the clock down all the way. He waved off screens and isolated against the wrong guys. I mean he had a post up baseline fade away on the right block which I can't ever recall him attempting this season. He wasnt looking for the other guys, even with Ariza started hot and was streaking on the wings on a few plays Harden did not hit him with the pass.


The third quarter though, the quality of the shots and how he got them was a complete 180. He allowed others like Paul to run the offense a bit more (Paul was somewhat passive early in the first to let James do his thing) and that resulted in great looks for him and the rest of the team as well. I do not expect them to shoot nearly as well as that again over the course of a quarter let alone a game, but if they are going to run the offense in the same way to get the same looks as they did in the third - game 5 should be over by halftime. This is what Harden did in game 2. He missed a ton of shots, but they were all in the flow of the offense and he still was setting up the other guys for good looks. Despite the poor night scoring for him, the Rockets still stuck to what they do well and they won.

Also Harden's energy level on defense was much better in the second half. There was a play in the fourth where he dove for a loose ball and saved it when the team was up big. Still that sort of effort is whats needed to win a road playoff game.

 

For some reason there has been a narrative on Twitter/ESPN/etc. that Chris Paul has not been good this series. Game 1 was bad, but he's been pretty dominant the last 3 games.

Tucker has very much had a rough go of things, but not sure this is the best matchup for him anyway, so it's all good. Gordon will need to pick things up in Round 2 but he had a nice Game 4 at least.

 

I mean you can say that about any Super Star. One Superstar can only take you so far.

 

but he has had enough help to get to the Conference Finals